The Great American Smokeout happens every year on the third Thursday in November, and it has been going on each year since 1977.  This is a day that smokers all across the country are encouraged to not smoke, or at least cut back on their smoking for one day.  Each year millions of smokers participate in the smokeout in the hope that this one step will be the catalyst to their quitting permanently.

On the American Cancer Society's website you can find a lot of great information to help you with this challenge...

• Reasons to Quit
• Guide to Quitting Smoking
• Planning your Quit Day

You can also read about the history of The Great American Smokeout here.

From Suite 101...

The American Cancer Society uses this yearly event to not only draw attention to the health issues and dangers that accompany smoking, but also to point smokers who struggle with quitting towards the many resources and tools available to them.

It has been proven that success in quitting smoking is greatly increased when smokers have support. This support can come in a number of ways. The ACS recommends that smokers eager to kick the habit employ one or more of these resources:

• nicotine replacement products (such as the patch or gum);
• counseling;
• prescription medication to lessen nicotine cravings;
• joining a stop smoking support group;
• using telephone smoking cessation hotlines;
• guide books;

Are you a smoker?  Will you be abstaining from smoking for the Great American Smoke Out?

Here's a look at some of what other women are blogging about quitting smoking...

From Healthy Moms - How Did You Quit Smoking?

According to the American Lung Association, In 2007, 19.8 million (17.4 percent) women smoked in the United States.

Below are some interesting facts about women and cigarettes from the American Lung Association.Smoking is directly responsible for 80 percent of lung cancer deaths in women in the U.S. each year.

• Female smokers are nearly 13 times more likely to die from COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis) compared to women who have never smoked.
• Annually, cigarette smoking kills an estimated 173,940 women in the United States.
• Postmenopausal women who smoke have lower bone density than women who never smoked.
• Teenage girls often start to smoke to avoid weight gain and to identify themselves as independent and glamorous, which reflect images projected by tobacco ads.
• In 2005, 10.7 percent of women smoked during pregnancy, down almost 42 percent from 1990. infants are more likely to develop colds, bronchitis, and other respiratory diseases if secondhand smoke is present in the home or day care center. Maternal smoking has also been linked to asthma among infants and young children. The odds of developing asthma are twice as high among children whose mothers smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day.
• Women who quit smoking greatly reduce their risk of developing smoking-related diseases and dying prematurely.
• Women who quit smoking relapse for different reasons than men. Stress, weight control, and negative emotions, lead to relapse among women.

From Healthy Habits for Life - World No Tobacco Day...

Passive exposure to secondhand smoke, also called environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), puts young people at risk for serious health consequences, including low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome, asthma and ear infections. While the health consequences are devastating, the foundation's report also details the significant economic costs of treating children with smoking-related illnesses.

The foundation found that, in 2001, tobacco's effects on children included:

• Nearly 300,000 pediatric asthma cases costing the nation more than $236 million
• More than 99,000 cases of ear infections costing the nation nearly $49 million
• support and encouragement from friends and loved ones.
• More than 26,000 low birth weight births costing the nation more than $300 million

From Loser Moms - Double Shame...

I didn't want to talk about this but I'm not seeing a way around explaining the extra weight. I quit smoking about eight months ago.

Yes, I know. There is no reason that a grown woman with children should have been smoking cigarettes in the first place. I quit a long time ago before the twins were born. Then one thing led to another and I found myself sneaking smokes in my garage when the kids were napping.

Anyway, that is not the point. The point is that I quit.

In quitting smoking news today - A new study shows texting helps kick smoking...

Texting, besides dominating communication in the 21st century, may be good for helping stop the habit of smoking.

An experiment at the University of Auckland in New Zealand revealed an easier way to quit smoking may be right at your fingertips.

“It’s tactile,” said Tom Hall, director of education and training programs for UCF’s Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Programming. “Smokers are used to doing things with their hands.”

Additional Resources:

• becomeanex.org
• becomeanex.org support community
• smokefree.gov
• Quite Tobacco

Have you been a smoker in the past?  Do you have any tips or advice you could share for other women trying to quit?  If so, tell us in comments.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan.com and Women4Hope